LapBandFan

Hold on to something tight.(you might feel the earth shake)....happy dance in progress for you..... WooHoo!! GOOD FOR YOU!! Keep up the good work!

I love this thread.....I too need accountability.... I vow to do these two things today: I vow to exercise for 45 minutes - I did already one hour at the gym walking 30 minutes and then weight machines other part of time there. I vow to write down everything that goes in my mouth on fitday.com. (My public journal is at http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=BEFAIN (Feel free to go there and check on me daily....) Thanks for starting this thread...

Delarla. I too have lost complete restriction I am almost 2 years out from banding and have been blessed to lose 132 pounds! Praise the Lord. Anyway...I had wonderful restriction until last week then all the sudden virtually NO restriction. I have been searching the boards hear trying to figure it out myself since my Doc can't get me in to see him for fluro until January. So your restriction was gone mysteriously and then appeared again mysteriously? I am a peeled-nerve wondering where my restriction went and why.... I too miss that full feeling... Did you do anything different? Or it just suddenly came back? Did you have a leak? If so what did they do about it? DO they do another surgery? I appreciate any insight you can provide. Thanks Brenda

No Jack, I am not gorging by any means, just regular small bandster size portions that used to fill me up fine 1/2 cup to 3/4 of good solid food. Just don't have any feeling of restirction with this amount now, and did have good restriction with this amount prior to my food getting stuck on Wednesday. I am still stopping at the bandster size portions even though I feel I could eat more, just want my restriction back! I have a voicemail in to my surgeon... thanks for your support....

Jess, thanks for your advice and reassurance, I hope indeed that is all that it is -that I simply need another fill/adjustment, but it is weird I feel no restriction.... when it was there prior to the PB episode. I will keep you posted. Hope they can fit me in this week. Take care...

Jack, I mean able to eat more than normal all the sudden, not increase in hunger. I still stop though when I think I am satisfied, but have not ventured to real solid foods yet scared to I guess, did a chicken tender yesterday and some refried Beans today. No there have been no similar episodes, and this something new. Thanks for your prayers for me on this...I will keep everyone posted here at the boards. Mandy, thanks for your advice, I am hoping the restriction comes back on its own, and I have let the band rest with soft foods since it occurred. Just scares me because I have PB'd before and never lost the restriction that way.... thanks if you can say a prayer for me duing this time.... I am a worry wart I know...take care..

Thanks Alex but what about the missing restriction all the sudden? That is what makes me think of erosion or slippage.... .I know I worry too much, but after going through a rebanding, I can't help but worry....

For all you bandsters who have eroded or slipped in the past. I have yet a new worry.....Your honest opinion please....here is my story, I was originally banded February 2004 with a 4 cm band and all went will with a wt loss of 133 pounds until October 2004, Then my band slipped but was completely unaware of it till my doc did a fluro in January 2005, then was rebanded with an 11 cc band in February. My weightloss has only been 15 pounds since that time with only 6 cc in my 11 cc band thusfar. Have had really good restriction up till this week, I had got a piece of chicken stuck and has some major pain for about 2 hours then if felt like it passed. My stomach area where my band is was very sore the next day I went on the liquid diet for next 24 hours and started back on solid food today with virtually no restriction. I have a huge fear that my band has slipped again because I have no restriction all the sudden, in your honest opinon what would you do? I am cringing to even think that i have a 2nd band and that the one incident of food getting stuck could have caused it? My insides (stomach band area) was sore the entire next day. A first for me (the soreness afer a food sticking) I am scared to even tell my husband it might be another slip cause he has been skeptical all along about the band.... What would you do? THanks for any tips, hints or advice! Brenda Fain

After you get the proper amount of restriction, you will feel a full sensation in the middle of your chest, not in your stomach. That is where I feel full. Do not eat anymore after you get this sensation as you can cause the pouch to get too full then and possibly stretch and prolapse or slip if done too often. It is amazing the small amount of food you will experience this with. Hope this helps.

Definitely will pray for your brother. This must be devestating for him.

Try to go back to the feelings of how you felt about yourself when you decided to do the surgery. Remember how you felt? Remember WHY it was so important to you to get it done, either for better health or for better self-esteem, or what? That always helps me to think of how I felt before my surgery to help me in keeping me on track. We all mess up from time to time, just get back up on the wagon and go on. Most of all FORGIVE yourself and don't beat yourself up too much, so you gained a few pounds? You know what to do now to fix that and the band is there to help you now. Losing weight is like driving a car.....you have to look forward because you can't drive forward looking in the rearview mirror So stop looking back at what you have done wrong and look forward to what you can do to help yourself get back on track. Pray hard and stay on these boards, the folks here are great and so very supportive. God bless and good luck!

Hey Thin Jen and Dody, I am from Sweetwater about 1/2 way between knoxville and chattanooga. I used Dr. Rose at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, I will be 2 years postop in February...I have lost 132 pounds with the band. I have a page with before/during/after pics of me at www.picturetrail.com/befain click on weightloss album, my password is: loser Good luck to you both!

Woo Hoo! and Praise the Lord. Prayers answered! Jonathan that is such great news! I am so excited to hear it for you. I agree the board is like a second family to me too and I agree about the support we have here. Thanks for sharing the great news!!! Happy dance in progress for you!!

Kelly, I am from Sweetwater TN about half way between Knoxville and Chattanooga and I used Dr. Walter Rose at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, have you checked there with them? They are a group of surgeons who specialize in weightloss surgery. I would keep pursuing the dream, because there is surely a doc who believes that you need it and could refer you and write a letter of recommendation for you. What type insurance do you have? Do they cover WLS (weight loss surgery)? Good Luck and God bless you!

Welcome new bandsters and CONGRATULATIONS! You are now starting the rest of your life as a new healthier you!!! I am very excited for all of you and want to say this board is great. Go to the support section for any questions you may have, usually a search can be done to find out if anyone had questions answered on the board that you may be wondering about. Take care of yourselves. The best advice I can give is this Do what your doctor tells you, eat only what is on the list, no in between eating, drink lots of water and exercises at least thirty minutes 3x per week after you have been released to do so post op....and oh yeah, pray hard too. Keep on the boards and we will help you in any way we can. Just always remember to be kind to yourself, everyone loses weight differently and in different time amounts... Take care and God bless!

Jonathan, Congrats on your weight loss thus far! So sorry to hear about your slippage. I too, suffered a slippage I was 9 months out from surgery when it happened to me. I am so sorry for your worries, but please do try to get it replaced. I, too, had a band put in me the wrong size, and that was the reason of the slippage. I will pray your insurance sees it as a medical necessity for your continued health in the future. I would do it all over again, although I realize you are self pay and I was blessed to have insurance coverage, but please do consider getting a personal loan if needed to get it done. YOU ARE WORTH IT! We take out loans for things we sometimes don't need, such as boats, cruises, etc, why not invest in your most valuable asset - YOU! I will pray it works out for you financially and that you get replacement with the bigger VG band (what I had put in second time around). I have lost a total of 135 pounds and feel it would be worth paying a loan back to a bank in order to feel better and protect your health for the future. Take care and May God give you peace and knowledge in what to do here. Brenda

My band is great and has changed my life..... It has helped me become who I really am. I was a whole different person attitude-wise before my wonderful new best friend LB (Lapband) and I met. Now me and LB make a great team and forces me to stop eating, I am a food addict and LB has changed my life for the better. I feel better and I feel better about myself, I have self-esteem now that was absent before. I am so much happer after LB has helped me lose 140 pounds. I even had a slip and had to have revision surgery and did not even think twice about having it replaced. I want to encoarage anyone who is first at an unhealthy weight like I was or just totally miserable with themselves to consider getting it done. The Lord has blessed me to have it done and I am very thankful. I could talk all night about all the little things that have gotten better in my life but I don't have time to list them here and you all would be asleep before I finished. So yes, I am a huge band fan!

Trish, I notice if I eat a tad too much that I get a shoulder pain directly under my shoulder blade. It is just a sign I use to stop eating right then. Everyone is different and it very well could be that yours is a gas pain. Maybe someone else who has had it will post soon.

Well, I decided to do a recent before/after pic here; my friends have fussed at me long enough. I am still only with just right at 140 pounds loss and have been living on a plateau for what seems like forever (3 months) with me gaining and losing the same 5 pounds forever now, but my friend encouraged me saying pull out pictures and see how far you have come, and yes, I am thankful for that but I don't like getting "stuck" and not losing!! I am very discouraged and needed to see me as I was then and now. Hopefully I can get to losing again soon, wish me luck. Thanks for looking.

DaisyDoodle, how ya doing today? Started a food journal.... well to finish up my food intake for yesterday snack: 1/2 cup low fat sugarfree chocolate pudding with 4 tbsp light coolwhip supper: 1/2 cup pinto Beans with 1/2 corn muffin snack: 1 sugarfree klondike icecream bar snack: 8 pringles potato chips. Today so far: 24 oz hot tea with splenda Breakfast - two sausage patties with one slice of cheeze snack: 2 rice cakes plain. Keep me posted....

Nicole, I have started logging all my food intake at www.fitday.com and here is the link to my daily log. http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=BEFAIN I made it public so I would feel like I was being watched (sill little trick I play on myself to make me stick to it) The use is free if you are interested. You don't have to make your food journal public, there is an option to just let you see it. Good luck and YOU CAN DO THIS! You have done great thusfar and you will succeed!

You go girl! Don't let that tootsie roll have control! Intake for me so far today: Breakfast - 1 can Low carb SlimFast chocolate shake Snack -15 slices turkey pepparoni low fat, high Protein lunch - Half corn tortilla shell rolled with light miracle whip, 2 slices turkey 1 sice cheese Will let you know later about the rest of the day....my problem time is at night watching TV!

Hey girl are we twins ??!?! you described me EXACTLY> I have been "off the wagon" of rules too and slack in applying all the rules that I know will help me, I too have been on a plateau about 5 months now, but all my own fault. Thanks for your post, we will encourage each other and suffer through the halloween candy together. I am resolved to giving all my extra trick or treat candy away and if any left it is going to my kids at church. I have been horrible and need accountability myself What you say we post on here daily what we eat (every little bite) and what water and exercise we do? I also needed to hear from others who fell off the wagon, but let us remember we can fall off the wagon, but just don't get run over by it! ha ha

Hey 100+ fellow bandsters, TGIF!!! First off, Kim, welcome to the 100+ club. Thanks for your input and advice on how you work your band and diet strategies,etc. I too am lax on the exercise part, very badly actually. My work keeps me so bogged down I don't feel like I have time to exercise, but I know it will help me get over this plateau, so next week I vow to start back to exercising. I have a Y membership being wasted as well but not after next week, I am just gonna mark it on my schedule to exercise as though it was an important appointment. I have to!! Please check on me and ask me daily if I have exercised, I need that kind of accountability. Well after earlier in the week figuring out how I needed to write down everything that goes in my mouth, and recording it on Fitday.com, I have done that every and increased my Water intake to at least 100 oz of water per day, I am happy to say I have lost 5 pounds this week!! Well, it might be just water weight but at least it is a start!! Maybe I am getting over the plateau?! I sure hope so, but the weekend is coming up and I have trouble then. I will try my hardest to continue my food diary over the weekend too, and increased water intake. Sorry for the long post and thanks for posting here with me. Together we can do this!

Welcome to the 100+ club!! Hope everyone reports here at least once a week so we can encoaurge one another.